Game apparatus



May 10,A 1932. .1. WEBER 1,5f7,902

GAME APPARATUS Filed Feb. 14, 1931 Patented May 10, 1932 .UNirED STATES.

lJOHN wEBEitoFIcLEvELAND, omo` GAME Arraiui'rus"V :Applicatioiivled February 14, 1 9731. Serial .No. 515,821. i

-The game apparatus comprising the present. invention is adapted KJfor use in connec? tion with games of chance of the type in which the playing thereof is controlled byV preliminary hazards or chances such as is encountered in the playing of dice, backgammon, and other welly known games of chance. Towardy this end the invention con.

templates the provision of a simple apparatus khaving one or more rotatable indicia carrying elements thereon adapted tol be .rotated manually or otherwise and to stop in some one-'of a determined number of positions,

the apparatus being so designed that the in-V llicia'carrying elements may independently seek any one of the determined positions depending solely upon chance` The principal object of the present in vention is the provision of an apparatus whlch -is comprised of -a number of separable parts which are resiliently and releasably held togetherfand -which may be readily assembled and disassembled without the necessity of employing tools to aid in the operation of assembly.

A still further object ofthe invention is" to provide a game apparatus, the body p0rtion of which is formed of a resilient'material to prevent distortion thereof and which bodyportion at the same time `will prevent damage-,toa surface upon which it is placed and also, because of its resiliency, will-eliminate vibration of the apparatus when 'in` operation. t

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a game apparatus which is comprisedof a. minimum number of parts and-which is therefore unlikely to get out of order`` Convenience of arrangement of parvtssim-l plicity of construction, and comparative in'- expensiveness of manufacture are furtherde# sirable'features that have been bornein mind.

in `the production andl .development of the present invention.

Tith these and other objects in view,

which will .become more readily apparent as the, nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construc-l tion, combination, and arrangement of parts apparatus showing the manner in which in Figure 1.

f tothe axis of said element.

' element.

`ignate like parts throughout,

,shown inthe accompanying ysingle sheetyof Figure` 6 is a sectional view taken transversely through one of the, indicia carrying elements employed .in-connection with thel game apparatus, on a-planeperpendicula'r Figure 7 is a sectional view taken substantially along. 'the line 7 7 of Figur'ev.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of a closure disc` forming a part of the indicia carrying Figure 9 is a sectional View taken substanf tiallyalong the vline 9'-9 of Figure 8. VIn all of'the'above described views, like charactersof reference are' employed to des- The device involvesin its general organization, a casing 10 generally of rectangular 1 shape and provided with a bottom 12, sides 14, ends 16, and an open top 18. While this casing may be formed in any suitable man ner and of any suitable material, it is prefer! able thatthe4 same be formed of a resilient vflexible material suoli as rubber,: heavy rub-(Y` yberized fabric, or'of a flexible rubber'composition.v However, irrespective of these de tails in manufacture, the essential features of the invention are always preserved. The casing. isof integral construction, prefer ably being formed in a mold and the side wal'lslli thereof-'and the end walls 16 are comparatively-thick, while the bottom ,1Q-is of comparatively thin construction vand is provided with integrally formed legs or supports 20, one at each corner thereof.

The upperportion of `the casing is prc- Y sides of the openings are provided withdownwardly struck flangesv 30 into which en tend aligned openings 32 centrally of the tlanges.- .The transverse sides of the open ings are provided with downwardly struck retaining clips 34, which vin the present instance are tour in number. These. retaining zclips are taperedl downwardly and a-i'eprovided with outwardly presented rounded ends 36 which cooperate with internal grooves 38 on tlie'inner side walls v14 ofthe casing to be received therein to retain the bearing frame in position within the casing. An internal shoulder. 40 is formed around the margin of the open side 18 of the casing and the frame member 24 when inserted in position within the casing is adapted to rest upon this shoulder with its upper surface flush with the upper rim of the casing. Theside walls 10 are provided with internal notches 42 on opposite sides thereof to accommodate the ends of a bearing shaft 44 which is removably received through the-aligned apertures 32 in the'flanges y30. f i l A plurality of rotatable indicia carrying elements are shown at 46. Each member is in the formof a wheel having a rim 48, the outer periphery of which is uniformly polygonal in shape. In the present instance the rim is shown as being provided with six peripheral faces 50, eachof which has formed thereon in any suitable manner as for .example by molding, a number of indicia desig nated at 52. A pair of hub members in th' form of shallow discs, shown in Figure 8, are designated at 54. These hub members are provided with central hubs 56 through which the shaft 44 extends, and from each hub there extends a. radial portion 58 provided with an inwardly offset peripheral flange 60.`

Each rim 48 is made ofresilient'inaterial and is provided with a pair of spaced internal grooves 62 adapted to receive the offset flange 0 of the hub 58. The grooves 62 are so spaced from the edge of the rim that when'the rimV is positioned on ahub member the side of the rim will lie substantially flush with the radial portion 58 of the. hub. Obviously, each rim is operatively supported by two spaced hubs.V i

The interioi Wall of the` rim 46 of each indicia carrying element is of undnlatory form, being provided :with a number of cavities 64 and crests 66 radially positioned around the rim. The number of cavities provided on the rm corresponds to the number of indicia on the rim, and the center of each cavity is positioned directly on the inside ot' thecenter of an indicia formed on the outside of the rim. All of the cavities areof equal depthV and size, and housed within 1 each of the indicia carrying elements are a plurality ot' weighted balls 68 identical in size and weight. While any desirable number of these ballsimay be employed, advantageous results have been obtained where three are provided. However, regardless ofthe number of balls employed, the principles of the invention are not altered. The indicia carrying elements shaft 44 which extends completely across the frame transversely..

such Vthat a minimum amount of space exists between the outer edge or" the rim and the side of the housing inorder that foreign substances such as dirt or the like will not collect within the housing.

In assembling the device, the indicia carry-` ing 'elements are positioned within the open--v ings28 of the frame 24 and the shaft, which The size of the-rims of the indicia carrying elements is preferably-- is in thev form of a pintle pin is inserted i through the aligned. apertures 32 in the flanges 30, and in the discs 54 so that each indicia carrying element is rotatably mounted Within its respective opening with a portion thereof projecting upwardly above the. -top of the trame. Thefra-me' may then be inserted in proper position within the hous'` ing by grasping the ends of the housing between the thumb and orefinger and springing the open top of the housing into the distorted position shown iii-Figure 1 to permit the downwardly extending retaining meinbersV 34 to be inserted within the open top.-

The rounded projections 36 Will snap into position within' the internal grooves 38 in the side walls 14 and the device is thus asv sembled. lIn order to operate the device, a Y

player may position his forefingei and-his index finger simultaneously and respectively against the projecting part of the indicia carrying element. By a sudden rearward -ing elements, will, as these elements come to movement of the hand, the indicia carrying y elements maybe flicked, so to speak, into rotational movement, the casing resting on a `12C- restgseek any one of the number of cavities :64 formed on the inner wall of the rimk onl which to rest their weight and when .the device finally comes to rest, these balls resting on the cavity will so Weight the device that an indicia face will present itselfhorizontally above the casing and there will be no possibility of an indeterminate reading of the indicia face.

The invention is not'to be limited to the exactarrangenient of parts shown in the accompanying sheet of drawings or described `n this specification, as various changes in the details of construction thereof may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the frame 24 which is provided with the resilient depend- `ng prongs 34 may be employed in connection With a noiiresilieiit casing formed of a suitable composition such as bake-lite or the like.l or which may be formed of metal. The resiliency of the spring members 34 will serve 'o retain the frame in position Within the nonresilientcasing and upon distortion of the members 34 the frame may easily be removed froni the casing. VFor further example, in the drawings, for the purpose of il- `ustration, the indicia are. of the type ordiiiarily employed in dice, and represent numbers ranging from one to six, inclusive, but it is to be understood that various colors, and designs, as for example playing caid suits, ,uch as hearts, spades, or the like, or in fact any desired indicia may replace the spots that are herein illustrated. Furthermore, the number of faces that may be employed in the indicia carrying elements may be varied ,vhile the number of Weighted units Within the indicia carrying elements may likewise be varied. These features of the invention are immaterial and may be altered so long as the spirit of the invention is not destroyed. nly insofar as the invention has been particularly pointed out, is the saine to be limited.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a game apparatus, a resilient distortable casing, a bearing frame having a rotatable indicia carrying element therein, said frame being received Within said casing `ind held therein. solely by the resiliency of the distortable casing.

2. In a game apparatus of the class described, a distortable casing, a bearing frame having a rotatable indicia carrying element mounted therein, cooperating means on said frame and casing for normally retaining said frame Within said casing, and operable by distortion of` the casing for releasing said retaining means.

3. A game apparatus comprising a resilient casing having an inner Wall provided with a recess, a bearing frame, a rotatable indicia carrying element mounted within said frame. a projection on said frame receivable in said recess for retaining the frame in position within the casing, said casing being manually distortable to remove said projection from said recess to permit Withdrawal of the frame from the casing. L

4. In aA game-apparatus, a j tortable casing,-a bearing frame,-a rotatable resilient dis- -f indicia carrying element mounted lin' said-- frame, inter-engaging means on said framel and casing for releasably holding said frame Yin position within the casing, said inter-engaging means being adapted to be rendered inoperative upon distortion ofy said casing.

5. In a game apparatus, a resilient distort-able casing, a frame receivable Within said casing, said frame being held in position by frictional engagement with the casing, said i casing'being manually distortable to release said frame.

6. AY game apparatuscomprising an' in-v tegial casing formed of a yieldable distortable material and having an opentop, a gaine unit frictionally.receivable in said open top, f

said open top being distortable to release said game unit upon contraction of the lower portion of said casing.

7. A game apparatus comprising a casingv formed of yieldable` resilient. material, said v casing having an open end, av frame positioned Within said open end andextending thereacross, there being an opening in said` frame, a shaft extending acrossthe openinv,

a rotatable yindicia carrying element mounted Within the opening for rotation upon said. shaft, saidframe beingheld. Within said Y opening by contraction of the casing on the same,'and said casing being distortable to release said frame.

8. lA game apparatus comprising a casing formed of yieldable vresilient material, said casing having an open end, a-franie positioned Within said open end and .extending thereacross, there being an opening in said frame,--

a shaft extending acrossthe opening, and a rotatable indicia 'carrying element mounted Within the opening forrotation upon said shaft, said frame being held Within said opening by contraction of the casing on the same,4

said casing having a plurality of supporting elements formed thereon adapted to .be engaged manually and urged toward each other to distort said casing and release said frame.

9. In a game apparatus, ayieldable resilmove said proJection from said'v means and 4,1 Lanz-902g,

adapted to receive saidprojectionto'retai'nsaid'frame in posit-ion Within the casing, said,` casing being distortable to remove said proj ec'-y tion from said opening and permit removal 4of said frame. i

10. In a gaine apparatus, aryieldable resilient casing having an opening therein, a'4 frame positioned Within said opening,l a pliii'alitv ot' openings in saidfraine, a sbatte tending through said frame and bridging saidj openings, a plurality or" rotatable indicia `ear-- ryi'ng elements mounted upon said shaft and positioned one Within each opening and proiilation thereof, a downwardly extending retaining element on said traine having a pro-f jection thereon, a. recessin. the inner Walliof said casing adapted to receive said projection to retain said traine iii position Within the easing, saidV casing being distortable to vreperinit removal of said frame.

1l. In a` game apparatiis,a easing element,` a frame element receivable Within said cas,- ing, inter-engaging means on said traine and casing for releasably holding said-frame in position within the casinggsaid inter-engaging means being adapted to be rendered inoperativeupon distort-ion of one of said ele-V ments. n

l2. In a gaine apparatus,vr a rotatable indicia carryingelement comprising a resil-y ient rim having an internal groove therein,

and a hub earryingdisc having ar'adial flange receivable in said groove. i i

13. In a gaine apparatus, a rotatable indi'- oia carrying element comprising a resilient rini having a. pair of internal grooves, anda hub carrying disc having a radial iiange receivable in each groove to provide a Closed casing, and a Weighted element Within the Casing. l

14. In a gaine apparatus, a rotatable indicia carrying element comprising a resilient rim having a pair of internal grooves, and

having an undulatory inner surface, a pair of discs provided WithV hubs, said discs'having radial flanges, the flange of each disc being trictionally held Within respective grooves.

15. In a gaine apparatus, a rotatable iii-V` dicia carrying element Comprising a resilient rim, a radial dise frictionally heldr Within said riin. v

In testimony whereof I affix inv signature.

JOHN'WEBER jectiiig above the top` of the casing for manipv 

